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Chair's Message

I am pleased to submit the Security Intelligence Review Committee's (SIRC's) Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) for 2010-11.

For twenty-five years, SIRC has been an integral component of the democratic accountability of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) by ensuring that it acts appropriately, effectively and lawfully in protecting Canada's national security. As Canada's national security intelligence service, CSIS has unique powers and responsibilities. It is with a great sense of pride and responsibility that SIRC conducts ongoing, independent reviews of CSIS's operations and activities.

SIRC's mandate has remained unchanged since its creation, but proposed initiatives may affect Canada's national security accountability regime in the future. In the fall of 2008, the Government announced that it intends to respond to the recommendations of Mr. Justice O'Connor by moving forward on comprehensive and robust review measures for the Canadian security intelligence community. Further consideration of the need to balance investigating threats to national security with oversight, accountability and the protection of civil liberties is expected to follow the release of the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182. SIRC will closely monitor these developments, as well as any others in the national security environment, to ensure that it is ready to adapt to change and respond to any challenge.

I hope that this year's RPP provides readers with further insight into SIRC's mandate to ensure that CSIS investigates and reports on threats to national security in a manner that respects the rule of law and the rights of Canadians.

Honourable Gary Filmon, P.C., O.M.
Chair

SECTION I – AGENCY OVERVIEW

Summary Information

Raison d'être

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) carries out its mandate to investigate and report on threats to national security in a manner that respects the rule of law and the rights of Canadians.

Responsibilities

The Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC or the Committee) is a small, independent review body that reports to Parliament on the operations of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS or the Service). It was established at the same time that CSIS was created in 1984, and derives its powers from the same legislation, the CSIS Act.

In order to fulfil its purpose, SIRC has two key Program Activities. The first is to conduct in-depth reviews of CSIS activities to ensure that CSIS carries out its duties and functions appropriately, effectively and in accordance with the CSIS Act and the various policy instruments that flow from it, and with direction from the Minister. The second is to receive and inquire into complaints by any person about any action of the Service.

CSIS continues at all times to be accountable for current operations through the existing apparatus of government, specifically the Minister of Public Safety, the Inspector General of CSIS, central agencies and the Auditor General, Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Strategic Outcome

In order to pursue its mandate effectively, SIRC aims to achieve the following strategic outcome:

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) carries out its mandate to investigate and report on threats to national security in a manner that respects the rule of law and the rights of Canadians.

Program Activity Architecture

The chart below illustrates SIRC's framework of program activities, which roll up and contribute to progress toward the organization's Strategic Outcome.

[D]

Planning Summary

Financial Resources (thousands of dollars)

Financial Resources	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13
Planned Spending	2,996	2,999	2,999

The financial resources table above provides a summary of the total planned spending for SIRC for the next three fiscal years.

Human Resources

Human Resources	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13
Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs)	21	21	21

The human resource table above provides a summary of the total planned human resources for SIRC for the next three fiscal years.

Strategic Outcome 1: The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) carries out its mandate to investigate and report on threats to national security in a manner that respects the rule of law and the rights of Canadians.
Performance Indicators			Targets
Number of reviews/complaint investigations that reported CSIS activities were appropriate, effective and in compliance with the CSIS Act, Ministerial Direction and operational policy			No major incidents of non-compliance by CSIS
Program Activity	Expected Results	Forecast Spending (thousands of dollars)	Planned Spending (thousands of dollars)			Alignment to Government outcomes
		2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13
Reviews	Improvements to CSIS performance	1,161	1,626	1,629	1,629	Government Affairs
Complaints	Parties before SIRC receive a fair and timely resolution of their complaint	560	580	580	580
Internal Services	Corporate management to support the needs of the organization and fulfill corporate obligations	657	790	790	790
Total for Strategic Outcome		2,378	2,996	2,999	2,999

Contributions of Priorities to Strategic Outcome

Operational Priorities	Type	Links to Strategic outcomes	Description
Continuous improvement for reviews and complaints	Ongoing	SO 1	SIRC's research methodology is constantly evolving to reflect the increasing complexity of CSIS's operations. SIRC's reliance on reviewing electronic and paper documentation is complemented increasingly by briefings and interviews with CSIS staff. SIRC will continue to encourage staff to attend seminars and conferences, as well as provide opportunities for training and professional development. In the realm of complaints, SIRC will continue to encourage CSIS to make representations to SIRC regarding its jurisdiction, prior to the Committee making a formal decision on whether or not to accept a complaints case. SIRC Members will be provided ongoing legal training, to assist them in presiding over a fair hearing in a timely manner.
Management Priorities	Type	Links to Strategic outcomes	Description
Improved corporate management	Ongoing	SO 1	SIRC will continue working on its modern management accountability plan. SIRC will introduce internal policies and monitor the implementation of its Business Continuity Plan, which is part of its commitment to adopting modern management practices and complying with the Government Security Policy. SIRC is working on the development of an Investment Plan, as required by Treasury Board. It will also respond to reporting requests from Treasury Board for two upcoming audits: Human Resources and Skills Development, and Common Look and Feel Standards for the Internet.

Risk Analysis

In recent years, the security intelligence community has undergone several legal, policy and program reforms in response to the evolving threat environment. SIRC continues to monitor discussion and debate about potential and ongoing Government initiatives that may impact upon the nature and scope of SIRC's reviews and complaints investigations.

SIRC has paid close attention to the work of the Commission of Inquiry into the Action of Canadian Officials in relation to Maher Arar. In fall 2008, the Government announced that it intended to respond to Mr. Justice O'Connor's recommendations by moving forward on comprehensive and robust security intelligence review measures. In December 2006, Mr. Justice O'Connor proposed that independent review and complaints investigations be extended to encompass the national security activities of Citizenship and Immigration, Transport, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre and Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and that SIRC was the logical body to assume this role. SIRC remains ready to assume an expanded role, subject to a full and complete assessment of possible workload and resource implications.

In addition, SIRC will continue to watch closely the proposed development of a National Security Committee of Parliamentarians. SIRC remains concerned about respective mandates and possible overlap and duplication, should the Government pursue this initiative. SIRC's Members would also have to address legal issues in responding to Parliamentary requests for classified information, which could conflict with their Oaths of Secrecy and certain provisions of the CSIS Act.

SIRC will also continue to adjust its focus to account for CSIS's involvement in new operating environments. SIRC's review function has been adapting to these changes to ensure regular examination of all CSIS operations and activities.

Given its very small staff complement, SIRC struggles with central agency reporting requirements. Although SIRC supports the principles of modern management accountability, it lacks dedicated functional specialists who would be solely responsible for financial and human resource management. As such, SIRC must increasingly rely on a combination of external contractors and internal staff, which diverts resources from its core functions.

Expenditure Profile

For the 2010-11 fiscal year, SIRC plans to spend $2.9 million to meet the expected results of its program activities and contribute to its strategic outcome. The figure below illustrates SIRC's spending trend from 2006-07 to 2012-13.

Over the past few years, SIRC has had continual staffing challenges, as all staff must be security cleared to Top Secret level before they are hired. This can create a delay of several months from the time a vacancy first becomes available to the actual starting date of a new employee. The decrease of actual spending from 2007-08 to 2008-09 is explained by staff leaves-of-absence and a reorganization that resulted in a temporary reduction of research staff and decrease in Committee-related costs. In addition, resources were set aside for the planned relocation of SIRC's office.

As shown under forecast spending for 2009-10, SIRC does not expect any increase of spending during fiscal year 2009-10.

Planned spending for 2010-11 to 2012-13 is expected to increase as SIRC plans to operate with a full complement of staff and to relocate its office during this period.

Voted and Statutory Items

The table below illustrates the way in which Parliament approved resources for SIRC.

Voted and Statutory Items displayed in the Main Estimates

Vote # or Statutory Item (S)	Truncated Vote or Statutory Item	2009-10 Main Estimates (thousands of dollars)	2010-11 Main Estimates (thousands of dollars)
30	Program expenditures	2,649	2,707
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	277	288
	Total	2,926	2,995

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